Jon offers two levels of Personal Painting Retreatsin Franklin, North Carolina. The Retreats consists of a three, four or five day commitment to paint with him in his studio or out on location (Plein Air) for at least five hours per day. This may include participating in his "Regular Studio Classes” with his regular weekly students, and when such classes are not in session, to paint alone with him in his studio or out of doors. The fee for the retreat is $150 per day; painting supplies must be provided by the student.

The Advanced Beginners and Early Intermediate Level Oil Painting Retreats are for artists who have had some quality instruction in the techniques of mixing various colors to get desired effects, and in brush application of those colors. Jon will demonstrate how to paint the subject of the artist desires; whether it is painting trees, water, mountains, rocks, and more. He will stress pictorial composition and the various elements and principles of design to accomplish a new level of the artists painting skills.

Advanced Oil Painting Retreats:

The Advanced Oil Painting Retreats are for those artists who have achieved some mastery of color mixing, brush application, composition and a familiarity with the elements and principles of design, but need more intensive instructions to advance to a higher level of proficiency in their paintings.

Franklin is located in the beautiful Smoky Mountains of Western North Carolina and it is convenient to Highlands, Cashiers, Maggie Valley, Dillsboro, Sylva, Waynesville and the Harrah's Cherokee Casino. The motels in Franklin are convenient driving distance to the retreat location of the Historic Cowee School Arts & Heritage Center, 51 Cowee School Road, Franklin, North Carolina, 28734.

"I had the opportunity to participate in a “Personal Panting Retreat” with Jon earlier this year. It met and exceeded my expectations. I just started oil painting and this was just what I needed to proceed with my artistry. The personal instruction was invaluable. I wanted to paint landscapes, and after a short conversation and evaluation of my current level, we hit the ground running with Jon knowing exactly where to start. Jon thoroughly explained and demonstrated every aspect of creating a finished artistic painting. We covered composition, brush strokes, color values, paint mixing, visual interest, lighting, etc. A huge benefit was seeing Jon work in person, and having him right there to see my mistakes, weaknesses and progress, and to immediately correct or focus with either more practice time and/or more instructional time. I was kept busy and challenged the entire time. Jon has a gift as an instructor and is willing and open to sharing/teaching from his vast knowledge and years of experience.

The other bonus was that this experience was not just confined to the studio. I traveled from central Florida and was fortunate to have the pleasure of staying at Jon and Carolyn’s guest room in their home. In addition to the great hospitality, fellowship, and suburb meals that Jon and Carolyn provided, the learning experience was continued from talking of all aspects of relevant art topics to watching videos of other artist and their techniques and styles. I was basically immersed in art from morning till night.

I would encourage anybody that is looking for additional training/instruction or looking to learn a new style of painting to attend a Personal Painting Retreat with Jon. I couldn’t have been more pleased with the progress I made and I returned home inspired to paint!"